The present invention generally relates to apparatus for the intravenous infusion of medication in accordance with a predetermined medical therapy. Medication delivery containers of the invention are useful for improving the ease of administration of a variety of therapeutic agents.
Intravenous medications including antibiotics and the like may be administered intermittently over an extended period of time. Each administration of an intravenous therapy generally follows a predefined procedure that often includes a series of manual steps. Such manual steps may include saline flushes and generally terminate with the application of anti-clotting medication. The manual steps in the therapy procedures are a principle source of error, infection, and other complications that may arise during intermittent infusion therapy.
Accordingly, there is still a need in the art for a means to improve the administration of intermittent medication infusion therapy. The present invention satisfies this and other needs in the art.
The present invention overcomes many of the problems in the art by providing a medication delivery container designed to interface with a pump apparatus. The container comprises a multi-chamber bag and a manifold assembly for administering an infusion therapy upon activation by the pump mechanism. The multi-chamber bag has a plurality of chambers that are configured to deliver a predetermined volume of each medication of an infusion therapy at a predetermined time, duration and interval. The medication delivery container may include an administration set for delivering the medications from the manifold assembly to an infusion site. The container provides improved infusion therapy administration over manual infusion techniques and reduces opportunities for error, infection or other complications.
Alternatively, the invention may be embodied in a fluid delivery container including a bag having at least one fluid chamber. The container also includes structures for minimizing pressure drop which may be associated with a chamber upon the application of pressure to the respective chamber, thereby allowing relatively unimpeded fluid flow from the respective chamber to an associated conduit during the entire period during which pressure is applied to the chamber.
Another embodiment of the invention is a fluid delivery container for the automated infusion of a plurality of pharmacological agents. The container includes a plurality of chambers and a manifold assembly. Each chamber is configured with a respective geometry for controlling the administration of the plurality of pharmacological agents. Each chamber has a configuration that controls the volume of each pharmacological agent administered and the regimen by which said pharmacological agent is administered. The manifold assembly has a plurality of valves for controlling the administration of the plurality of pharmacological agents to an infusion site.
Alternatively, the invention may be embodied in a delivery container to be filled with pharmacological fluids associated with a desired medical infusion therapy for treatment of a patient. The container may include a plurality of chambers for containing the pharmacological fluids, and a manifold assembly for dispensing the pharmacological fluids. The manifold assembly is configured, and each chamber is sized and configured, to implement the desired medical therapy when the fluids are automatically infused into the patient.